Genetics
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May 10 | News
A new essay in the journal PLoS Biology,
examines what really constitutes “life” and the probability of
discovering new life forms. Gerald Joyce, from The Scripps Research
Institute, discusses in the essay the basic requirements for a life form
to exist, and how it might fit into the forms alien life could take.
Apr 10 | News
After
running on 48 computer processors for four weeks and completing 32
billion searches, a computer program designed to compare multiple
genomes has revealed identical long strings of genetic code shared by
different plant species. Previous efforts had revealed identical codes
in animals, but this is the first to uncover the phenomenon in plants.
Mar 1 | News
A
new method for creating nanofibers, developed by researchers at
Polytechnic Institute of New York University, relies on the previously
unknown ability for alpha helical coiled-coil proteins to spontaneously
come together and self-assemble into nanofibers. The protein’s ability
to carry molecules suggests the discovery could be important in drug
delivery efforts.
11/8/2011 | News
Prehistoric
paintings of horses found in caves through France have depicted black,
brown, or spotted horses, leading to speculation about whether the
artists were dreaming up patterns or painting what they saw. DNA
analysis of fossilized horse bones and teeth suggest they were more like
da Vinci than Dali.
11/3/2011 | News
For
most people, tanning seems as simple as lying in the sun for hours and
ending up as bronzed as a Jersey Shore star. But scientists know it’s a
lot more complicated than that, and a new study has revealed that
melanocyte skin cells detect ultraviolet light using a photosensitive
receptor previously thought to exist only in the eye.
11/2/2011 | News
For
the last six years, researchers at IBM and National Geographic have
been conducting one of the most ambitious genomic studies in history.
With the help of an algorithm that uses recombinatorial information
contained in the unstudied 99% of the human genome, they may have
redrawn the map of human migration history.
10/27/2011 | News
The
Archon Genomics X Prize competition is offering $10 million in prize
money to researchers who decipher the complete DNA code from 100 people
older than 100. The goal? To find out what genetics advantage people who
live beyond 100 years have that others do not.
10/25/2011 | News
Mathew Maye’s laboratory at Syracuse University has invented a new way to attach DNA to gold nanoparticles. His method has inspired another Syracuse researcher, James Dabrowiak, to attach chemotherapy drugs to the DNA-coated gold, forming a potentially powerful way to attack cancer cells.
10/18/2011 | News
Until now, scientists have been unable to determine the structure of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) proteoglycan, or have even agreed whether these complex molecules have well-defined structures. The recent breakthrough should help research into certain types of cancers and may enable certain drug development pathways.
10/18/2011 | News
The European Union's top court ruled Tuesday that scientists cannot patent stem cell techniques that use human embryos for research purposes, a ruling some scientists said threatens important research since no one could profit from it.
